Psalms 91 & 92

by Becky

LINK: Psalm 91

REFLECTION AND APPLICATION

Have you read this psalm? I mean really read it? Have you pondered the images? If not do it now.

Let me deal with the elephant in the living room before going on!

Does this psalm mean that those who trust in the Lord will be kept from dying in battle (v. 7) or dying of disease or being harmed by evil (v. 10)? Does it mean that all who take refuge in God will live a long life (v. 16)?

I don’t think so.

First, the Scriptures themselves contradict that. Psalm 34 says this, “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers them out of them all.” We will have afflictions and we will be delivered out of each of them.. Hebrews 11 lists not only those who were delivered by God in miraculous ways in this life, but also those who suffered because of their faith and were delivered through death.

Did you know that Satan quoted this psalm (vv. 11-12) when he tempted Jesus in the wilderness? He took Jesus up to the highest point of the Temple and said, “If you are the Son of God jump off! Doesn’t it say in the Scriptures, ‘that He will send His angels to protect you concerning you, to guard you in all your ways. They will hold you up with there hands to keep you from even hitting your foot on a stone.’?” (Matthew 4:6) Satan tested Jesus by twisting the the purpose of the words of the psalm to suit his own ends.

Look at Jesus. He trusted his Father perfectly and yet he suffered. He had a crown of thorns put on His head. He had nails pounded into His hands and feet. He died an early and painful death. He, himself, told His followers this paradox, “They will put some of you to death…. Yet not a hair of your head will perish.” (Luke 21: 16-18)

So we see from the context of the whole of God’s counsel that there is an unspoken qualification to this psalm, one that those who shelter in the Most High should understand. Derek Kidner put it this way: “This is a statement of exact, sweeping providence, not a charm against adversity… What it does assure us is that nothing can touch God’s servant but by God’s leave.” Wow.

What we have here in Psalm 91 is better than some “charm” that will keep us from ever being hurt! We have a promise that no matter what harm touches us, God is right there with us and it is part of His purpose for us. He will remain with us. Nothing can separate us from Him! His design is good and sometimes it includes suffering. If I abide or dwell in Him, though, I am safe.

What am I to do? I am to trust the Lord, to shelter in Him, to dwell so close to Him that it’s as if I’m in His shadow. I am to cling to the truth of His faithfulness – that faithfulness is my protection!

Can God deliver us from all harm? Can He keep us from suffering or disease? Of course He can.

Does He sometimes allow us to suffer, though? Does His design for us sometimes include physical pain or early death? Yes.

But no matter what, whether we are miraculously delivered by Him from what harms us or whether we are kept safe in Him in the midst of what harms us – He is with us! He is in charge. He won’t leave us. What a wonderful promise. All we need to do is dwell in Him and trust Him.

My husband and I have experienced the truth of this psalm during the past six months. In October Jerry was in a motorcycle accident – clear day, empty road, and a truck driver that didn’t see him until after he hit him. Jerry lost part of his left foot, and had multiple other injuries to his legs and pelvis and hip. It has been a long hard road since then, and my husband is my hero! Did that accident take God by surprise? Nope. Could God have prevented the accident? Of course He could have. But for some reason He didn’t. That’s where our trust comes in. He is God. We aren’t. We belong to Him. We have discerned His love and faithfulness, though, in ways we never did before the accident. We have experienced the truth of what the Lord tells us in this psalm: “I will rescue those who love me. I will protect those who trust in my name… I will be with them in trouble.” (vv. 14-15)

(John Piper has a chapter devoted to Psalm 91 in his book Taste and See. The chapter was a great help to me in writing this. That’swhere the quote from Derek Kidner came from.)

LINK: Psalm 92

I’ve spent so many words on Psalm 91 that I will try to keep this entry shorter! But it’s hard because this psalm is so rich. It makes me want to sing!

So here are two things to take away (because these are what I took away with me!):

1. It is good to have a grateful heart! Do you think about and speak of God’s lovingkindness in the morning and His faithfulness at night (v 2)? How often I take those two traits of His for granted. Ponder those.

2. The righteous (that’s you and me if we trust in Jesus’ death for us) flourish like trees planted in a place that where they are well-watered and cared for. Get this: we “will still yield fruit in old age; we shall be full of sap and very green!” Wow. What a promise.

I don’t know about you, but at age 54 I am so thankful that though I am outwardly aging, I am inwardly being renewed by God’s Spirit (2 Corinthians 4). If I dwell in God, He will make sure that I continue to flourish. I will bear fruit!

I have seen this personally, too. I have been blessed with parents who are believers and who are now in their 80’s. They continue to grow in the Lord. They continue to be used by God and bear fruit even in old age. They are green!

PRAYER

Thank-you, Lord, that we are reminded by both these psalms to dwell in You. You are our shelter, our fortress, our refuge. You are the one who waters us and nurtures us so that we bear fruit. Help us to trust you no matter what. Thank you for your promise that nothing can separate us from your love: "neither death nor life, neither angels or demons, netiher the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8: 38-39) Amen.